the solitary vigil of the Great Shepherd keeping watch over
His flock by night; the other of the little company who waited with
joined hands and hearts in the upper room for the coming of the
Comforter; these two pictures representing the solitude of a single
soul and of united souls with God.

By such silent communion God will especially prepare us for service and
for suffering.

Some one spoke to John Nelson, making unfavourable comparison of John
Wesley with a prominent religious teacher of the day; and Nelson
replied, "He has not stayed in the upper room like John Wesley." We
need our silent preparations for speech; to go forth, like Ezekiel,
into the plain to find the glory of the Lord; or like Daniel to the
river-side, where we may meet one like unto the Son of man; or like the
two who walked into the country whom Jesus met, and with whom He talked
till He made their hearts burn.

Especial preparation of this kind is necessary for the prosecution of
great enterprises. We are reminded of this if we observe what followed
the all-night of prayer of the Lord Jesus,--how, when it was day, He
called unto Him His twelve apostles, and with them went down into the
plain to heal diseases and them that were vexed with unclean spirits.
Napoleon leaves his army, as they near the Russian frontier, and spurs
his horse until at last in solitary contemplation he sees before him
the river that separates him from the country that he is going to
invade: a striking picture, made more so by the thought of the luckless
termination of the enterprise. And some of us, whom God will call to
great enterprises for Him that will not end in failure, will know what
it is to make a similar solitary advance; and in silent waiting upon
God to watch Him unroll before us the map of our journey, telling us
what we must do and what we must suffer for Him: and the silence makes
us strong when the voice of God has broken in upon it. And we will not
marvel if to us, as to Saul of Tarsus, the answer to the question,
"What wilt thou have me to do?" should come in the form, "I will shew
him how great things he must suffer"; for our thoughts will turn again
to Him who said, "Rise and let us be going" from the solitude of the
upper room to the deeper retirement of the olive grove; who went a
little farther, even from those He loved most, as He prayed, "Not My
will but Thine be done"; and then took His way alone, and yet not
alone, to be the Redeemer and